The technology of the present disclosure relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which performs image forming by using a toner.
In general, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copy machine, a printer, and a facsimile, an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrying member such as a photosensitive drum is visualized by a developer (a toner) in a developing device, and the toner image is transferred to a recording medium. At this time, since a toner not transferred to the recording medium remains on the surface of the photosensitive drum, the remaining toner is removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum by a cleaning device. The remaining toner removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum is horizontally conveyed to an end portion in a horizontal direction by a screw as a waste toner, is fallen from the end portion, and is put into and stored in a disposal bottle.
The waste toner that is removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum has a low fluidity due to mechanical stress or mixing of impurities such as paper powder, and is easily solidified. Therefore, there is a case in which the waste toner is solidified and clogged on a conveying path of the waste toner.
Conventionally, there has been known a technology for allowing a leaf spring to intermittently make contact with a toner stirring and conveying blade of a rotating conveying auger of a developing device so as to vibrate the blade, and loosening a toner piled on a falling conveying path, through which a toner is supplied to a developing unit, by using the vibration.